Evening Standard

2012 Insight

Reaching the Consumer

Reaching the Consumer

Capitalising on the Games


The presence of millions of people who will flock to London in 2012 for the Games will fuel a boom in outdoor advertising as companies scramble to capitalise on the first Games in London since 1948.

  • Television and outdoor advertising will get the biggest boost: TV capitalising on massive world audiences and outdoor advertising benefiting from the increased tourist trade
  • As the host television broadcaster, the BBC will not carry commercials, advertisers will have to look elsewhere to reach the mass Olympic audience
  • Clear Channel UK estimates spending on outdoor advertising could soar 30% in the three months leading up to the London Olympics
  • With the re-generation of East London and the construction of new transport links to Olympic venues, Clear Channel estimates there could be a 10% increase in the number of outdoor sites in the months leading up to 2012
  • The most sought-after sites will be those which have the greatest chance of being seen on television.


Outdoor Pricing Structures


  • British media buyers are already wary of outdoor site owners using the Olympics as an excuse to raise prices and lock advertisers into long-term deals, as they did in Sydney
  • Sites that would have cost $10,000 (£4,460) a month were suddenly going for $100,000 in the run-up to the 2000 Olympics
  • Veterans of the Sydney Games, which sparked a 25% leap in outdoor advertising, warned that any substantial gain is likely to be short-lived
  • After a record year in 2000, the Australian advertising industry suffered a two-year downturn
  • The London 2012 organisers have already struck a deal with each of the outdoor site owners to guard against unfair price rises
  • Not only must they give the official Olympic sponsors first right of refusal over every outdoor site, but they have also agreed to fixed pricing structures


The Evening Standard


The Evening Standard was an avid supporter of the London 2012 bid and continues to report the news and progress of the Games as they happen. We have also launched a major campaign for a Olympic 2012 Sporting Legacy for London.

Since 1827 the Evening Standard has been part of the fabric of London and this will continue to be the case before, during and after the 2012 games. The Evening Standard and London are intrinsically linked, and as the build up to the games gathers momentum the Evening Standard will continue to inform and engage upmarket Londoners with the news, sport and how to get the most out of the world’s most vibrant city.